Content That Works

Your task is to identify the goals of your community, select an appropriate editorial voice for your content, and then produce content with the same tone that you want to hear from your users. This tone should be carried through in everything on your site—from the headlines to the stories to the FAQs. This can be easier said than done, so here are some ingredients from my personal recipe for content that works.

Be personal

People are more likely to flame out when they forget that the words they see on their screen are being typed by a real flesh-and-blood person at the other end. One way to circumvent this tendency is to remind the community that their hosts and leaders are people, too. If you’re the moderator of a community site, remember to introduce yourself and mention personal elements from your real life. You should also consider adding an area where people can introduce themselves, or perhaps biography pages where users can talk about their real lives. A site-wide “about us” area with personal biographies written in friendly, non-corporate voices can help personalize the site, too. If the community is constantly reminded that the leaders are all real people, everyone will stay a whole lot friendlier.